Mitchell v. Turner

Supreme Court of Alabama
Mitchell v. Turner, 37 Ala. 660 (Ala. 1861)
Walker

Mitchell v. Turner

Opinion of the Court

R. W. WALKER, J.

The English rulé is, that'a person cannot be plaintiff in an-action against others,- on a contract made by those-others jointly with him. — Mainwaring v. Newman, 2 Bos. & Pull. 120; Moffatt v. Von Mullingen, 2 Chitty’s Rep. 539 ; 3 Rob. Pr. 301. Without at this time committing-.ourselves to this-rule, in the broad terms in-which it is here stated; we are satisfied that one of the sureties on a sheriff’s bond cannot maintain an action at law on such - bond- against his co-sureties. The plaintiff,’ being co-surety with the defendants, and bound ’ equally with them to make good the sheriff’s default, cannot recover the whole amount of them, The loss must be apportioned among the sureties, and this a court of lawns incompetent to do.^ — See Tindall v. Bright, Minor, 103; Chandler v. Shehan, 7 Ala. 251 ; Carroll v. Bowie, 7 Gil, 34, (41-3 ;) Milburn v. Codd, 7 B. & Cr. 419.

[2.]. There is nothing in the objection, that, the plea was a.plea in abatement, and should have been sworn to. A plea in abatement ought to give a better writ; but the matter alleged in this plea shows that the plaintiff can have no action at all, and was therefore properly pleaded in bar. Mainwaring v. Newman, 2 Bos. & Pull. 121; Moffat v. Von Mullingen, 2 Chitty, 539.

Judgment affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
MITCHELL v. TURNER
Cited By
2 cases
Status
Published